@@@*~~,,,, ,,,,~~*@@@
@*:::~~,,, ,,,~~:::*@
#@*:~~,,,, ,,,,~~:*@#
##@@**:~~, ,~~:**@@##
@*:~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~:*@
###@@*:~~, , , , ,~~:*@@###
###@@*:~~, , , , , , , ,~~:*@@###
###@@*:~~, ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ,~~:*@@###
#@@*:~~,,, ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ,,,~~:*@@#
###@@*:~~, :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ,~~:*@@###
@@@::~,,,, ,,,,~::@@@
###@@*:~~, just off the coast to the baltic sea ,~~:*@@###
@*~~~~,,,, there's a freshwater pond, secluded ,,,,~~~~*@
##@@@*:~~, among ashen and juniper. a cleft in the ,~~:*@@@##
###@@*:~~, limestone bedrock, sharp-cut from the ,~~:*@@###
###@@*:~~, surrounding plains, a ninety degree ,~~:*@@###
###@@*:~~, drop down, down, to the midnight-black ,~~:*@@###
#@@@@*:~~, water. ,~~:*@@@@#
###@@*:~~, ,~~:*@@###
###@@*:~~, ~~~~********~~~~ ,~~:*@@###
##@::::~~, ~~** **~~ ,~~::::@##
###@@*:~~, ~~~~~** fairies live here. **~~~~~ ,~~:*@@###
@***:~~~~, ~~** **~~ ,~~~~:***@
@@@@:~,,,, ~~~~********~~~~ ,,,,~:@@@@
###@@*:~~, ,~~:*@@###
##@*:~,,,, they speak to the sloane, caress it, ,,,,~:*@##
###@@*:~~, urge it to grow thicker, tangled, with ,~~:*@@###
##@*:~,,,, longer and sharper thorns. they tell it ,,,,~:*@##
###@@*:~~, to stay just below the grass, so that ,~~:*@@###
###@@*:~~, the animals what come to drink the ,~~:*@@###
###@@*:~~, water cannot see it before it draws ,~~:*@@###
@@:~,,,,,, their blood. closer to the pond, the ,,,,,,~:@@
#@@@@*:~~, sloane can grow taller, being able to ,~~:*@@@@#
###@@*:~~, hide also in the juniper. ,~~:*@@###
@@@@::~~,, ,,~~::@@@@
@*~,,,,,,, the fairies will beckon the animals to ,,,,,,,~*@
#@@@@*:~~, push forward, tell them that they're ,~~:*@@@@#
###@@*:~~, almost at the water, that they may ,~~:*@@###
#@*~,,,,,, drink soon. and they will tug on the ,,,,,,~*@#
@@*:~~,,,, sloane to make sure that the thorns cut ,,,,~~:*@@
##@@@*:~~, deep. when they finally find the path ,~~:*@@@##
#@@@@*:~~, down between the rocks, away from the ,~~:*@@@@#
###@@*:~~, bushwork and into the cleft, they are ,~~:*@@###
###@@*:~~, bleeding from a thousand wounds. as ,~~:*@@###
###@@*:~~, they drink from the dark water, it is ,~~:*@@###
###@@*:~~, in turn drinking the animals blood. ,~~:*@@###
@@:~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~:@@
@@@@::~~,, the circle is complete, the contract ,,~~::@@@@
@@@@@*:~~, carried out; the animal is abandoned to ,~~:*@@@@@
###@@*:~~, find its own way back. the bushes roots ,~~:*@@###
#@*::~~,,, drink the nutrutious water. the fairies ,,,~~::*@#
###@@*:~~, dance in the sunbeams. ,~~:*@@###
###@@*:~~, ,~~:*@@###
###@@*:~~, :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ,~~:*@@###
###@@*:~~, ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ,~~:*@@###
###@@*:~~, ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ,~~:*@@###
##@@:~,,,, , , , , , , ,,,,~:@@##
@@@:~~,,,, , , , ,,,,~~:@@@
###@@*:~~, ,~~:*@@###
@@***:~~~, ,~~~:***@@
###@@*:~~, ,~~:*@@###
###@@*:~~, ,~~:*@@###
#@@:~~~,,, ,,,~~~:@@#